Sunday, January 25, 2009

Pesto and Garlic Bread

I've been MIA for a long while. I haven't been cooking much either. And had serious writer's block! Thanks to everyone who enquired after me! Not sure if I'm back but I wanted to share a recipe that I kind of created recently.

For the Flavors:4-5 cloves of Garlic, roasted and chopped1/4 cup Pesto

Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough until it begins to feel smooth to the touch (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in an oiled container and cover with a muslin cloth. Leave it in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Remove the dough and shape into a log. Cut into three portions. Roll each portion out to a rough rectangle. Spread one side of each rectangle with pesto (I used homemade walnut and spinach pesto) and the chopped garlic. Roll each portion up as tight as possible. Place in a loaf pan with the seam side down. Repeat for the other portions and place alongside each other.

Cover with a muslin cloth and leave in a warm place until doubled again (about 45 minutes to an hour). Preheat the oven to 220 deg C. Bake the risen bread for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and when tapped, sounds hollow.

This was delicious. And the pesto gave the bread a much softer crumb than regular bread. And it had the added advantage of being very pretty!

good to see a new post... this looks good.. i like garlic flavoured bread..and pesto... so its a combi that appeals to me...but i donno if i m going to try it out.. im jinxed when it comes to bread..ALL my breads flop!!! lol..mandira

Hi Arundathi. It's been a long time since I've been here, so thought to visit today and see that you have also not been posting regularly. Sometimes it happens. Hope to see more of your amazing bread and other recipes.